How to Get a Certificate of Existence in Indiana

If you’re seeking a lender for your business, looking to open a business bank account, or even thinking of expanding into another state, you may get a request to provide a certificate of existence. This document proves your entity is properly registered and compliant with state requirements.

Getting a certificate of existence is relatively easy, provided your business actually is in good standing with the state. This guide will cover how to get your certificate, when you might need it, and what to do if you need to restore good standing status first.

What is a certificate of good standing?

A certificate of existence (also known as a certificate of status or certificate of good standing in other states) is official confirmation from the Indiana Secretary of State that your business is properly registered, authorized to operate in the state, and current on its required state filings. It doesn’t speak to your finances, litigation history, or federal tax standing. It merely confirms that your business entity exists and is compliant in Indiana’s records.

Indiana businesses most commonly need the certificate in these situations:

• Applying for a business loan. Lenders often require it as part of due diligence before approving financing.
• Opening a business bank account. Many financial institutions want proof of good standing before opening an account in your business’ name.
• Obtaining a professional or business license. Indiana licensing agencies may request it to confirm your entity is active before issuing or renewing a business license.
• Registering in another state (foreign qualification). If your Indiana LLC or corporation plans to operate in another state, that state’s filing office will typically require a certificate of existence from Indiana as part of the process.

How to check whether your Indiana business is in good standing before you order

Before trying to order your certificate of existence, make sure your business is actually in good standing. If it isn’t, the state won’t issue the certificate until you resolve the underlying problem.

You can search for your business’ status in INBiz with no account required. Enter your business name or business ID to pull up your entity’s detail record. You’ll see your current status (active, cancelled, admin dissolved, etc) as part of the record. If your status shows anything other than “active,” fix the underlying issue before requesting the certificate.

Why businesses lose good standing in Indiana

Businesses can lose good standing for a number of reasons, but two of the most common ones are failure to file a business entity report every two years, and failure to maintain a registered agent and registered office.

Failure to do either of these actions and your business becomes a candidate for administrative dissolution. Once grounds for dissolution are established, the Secretary of State issues written notice and the entity gets an opportunity to correct the deficiency. An administratively dissolved business may not carry on any business except what’s necessary to wind up and liquidate, and the state won’t issue a certificate of existence while it remains in dissolved status.

How to get your certificate of existence in Indiana

Once you’ve confirmed your business is active, the process is straightforward.

1. Go to inbiz.in.gov and click “order a certificate of existence” from the homepage.
2. Sign in or create an INBiz account.
3. Search for and select your business record. Enter your entity name exactly as it appears in state records, or use your business ID number.
4. Confirm your entity information. Make sure the record reflects the correct entity before proceeding.
5. Pay the $27 fee. INBiz accepts major credit and debit cards.
6. Receive your certificate. The state emails it to the address associated with your INBiz account. You can also download it from the documents widget on your INBiz dashboard.

Online processing is immediate.

What to do if your Indiana business is not in good standing

If your business has lost good standing, you’ll have to correct the action that led to it before you can restore your status and get your certificate of existence. If your business has been administratively dissolved, you’ll need to file for reinstatement with the Secretary of State.

But before you can do that, you’ll also need to obtain a certificate of clearance from the Indiana Department of Revenue. This action proves to the Secretary of State that your entity is current on all state taxes. Once you’ve obtained your certificate of clearance, file it with the affidavit for reinstatement and a biennial business entity report.

Once the Secretary of State has processed your reinstatement, your status will update to “active” and you can move forward with obtaining your certificate of existence.

How LegalZoom can help

LegalZoom’s compliance services can take a number of tasks off of your hands, from filing annual reports to serving as your registered agent. Our certificate of good standing service can help you get the Indiana certificate of existence. If your filing is rejected or incorrect due to our error, we’ll correct it with the government agency at no additional cost to you.

If you need to get your business back into good standing first, our reinstatement management service will help you draw up a roadmap and manage ongoing compliance deadlines so you don’t fall out of good standing again.

Indiana certificate of existence FAQs

How long is an Indiana certificate of existence valid?

Indiana doesn’t impose an expiration date, but the requesting party typically requires the certificate to have been issued within the last 30 to 90 days. Order it as close as possible to when you plan to submit it, and confirm the specific recency requirement with the requesting party before you order.

Does a DBA (assumed business name) in Indiana need its own certificate of existence?

No. A DBA isn’t a separate legal entity and can’t obtain its own certificate of existence. The certificate belongs to the underlying registered entity. Request it using your legal entity name, not the assumed name. If you need to register a DBA, you can do it through LegalZoom.

Who can request an Indiana certificate of existence?

You don’t have to file it yourself. An attorney, registered agent, lender, or any authorized third party—like LegalZoom—can request the certificate on your business’ behalf. The key requirement is having the entity name as registered with the state and the business ID number.